IMC Case Study on Hewlett-Packard and Integrated Marketing
Communications – The Computer Is Personal Again
HP’s campaign, to be fully implemented by the end of 2006, was a true-
global, several hundred million dollar campaign and its theme (The Computer
is Personal Again) is still going strong today, four years later.
Target Audience
The campaign was targeted at PC users between eighteen and thirty-four
years of age, and small to mid-size companies (Center for Management
Research, 2008).
Communication Objective
Throughout the campaign, HP’s communication objective was “to
grow a more profitable worldwide business through the introduction, support
and marketing of innovative products, services and solutions that will deliver
the absolute best customer experience in personal technology†( HP Fact
Sheet, 2006). The underlying objectives were to build and cultivate an image
(a brand) and to spark consumer engagement and an emotional connection to
its user.
Campaign Idea
The campaign idea ‘The Computer is Personal Again’ sought to
position HP as ‘the company’ that truly understands how the PC has
become central to most people’s lives and how computer’s are no
longer merely electronic devices used for bland corporate-only tasks, but a
place which provides the tools necessary to store and cultivate an
individual’s expression of self (Marketing Practice Blog, 2006).
IMC Tools And How The Internet Was Used
The campaign pieces together traditional (print, broadcast, outdoor
advertising), web and viral marketing elements. The majority of the mediums
and elements all drive the audience to HP’s website dedicated to the
campaign, found at [Link]/personal. Today thewebsite exists here:
[Link]
Linking television with internet
HP created advertising spots highlighting how celebrities (as well as
noteworthy business people along with other recognisable personalities) use
their PC’s and how their computer is personal to them. The ad spots then
linked to HP’s new ‘Personal’ site which showcased ‘hot
products’, a ‘HP Total Care’ page, as well as an ‘Extras’
page with fun (engaging and viral) activities (like allowing the public to create
their own personal versions of the ‘hand’ television spots). It is safe to
say that no expense was spared in the creation and execution of the
campaign.
Online advertising
The online campaign also included the creation of what Peter Burrows (2006)
describes as ‘striking online ads’. These ads, at first glance, appeared
to be standard banner ads, though within seconds the ad expanded to
become a full-page feature showing a HP notebook. More than this, these ads
were strategically placed and created. For example, HP purchased space on
Yahoo!’s Entertainment page and the full-page ad copy sported the
tagline: “Like you, it craves entertainment.â€
Social media
HP’s campaign also features the employment of today’s current
social media platforms, such as Twitter ([Link] and
Facebook ([Link] Over and above basic
Facebook features, such as the use of the ‘Wall’, HP’s Facebook
account also includes a ‘Video Tips’ page and a ‘Discussion’
(forum-type) area. On the date of this article’s publication, HP has a total
of over 17,000 fans and almost 15,000 followers on Facebook and Twitter
respectively.
Hewlett-Packard and Integrated Marketing Communications Case Study
Conclusion
In conclusion to this IMC cast study, my favourite campaign has to be
HP’s “The Computer is Personal Again.â€
This is due to several reasons; the campaigns holistic approach, leaving no
expense spared on the strategy development and implementation of the
campaign, the campaigns true-global reach, and fact that the theme (The
Computer is Personal Again) is still going strong today, almost four years
later.
Through this IMC campaign, HP not only sought to gain immediate monetary
and brand results, but also redefined how the personal computer was
marketed in that day, shifting away from the industry’s bland, specs-
focused campaigns to a more human, user-focused, personal and individual
direction of campaigns, featuring ‘how people use the computer’ and
‘how the computer has become central to the individual’s life’ not
merely ‘these are the specs you get for your money’.
